The best software for a small plumbing business

Running your own small plumbing business isn’t easy. On top of completing jobs and sending invoices, you also have to manage your business expenses. Using software can help you run your business more efficiently, but with so many options, it can be difficult to know which to choose. Here are some useful tools for you to consider:

As a plumber, there are important formulas you need to remember to make sure your job gets done properly. Since a wrong calculation can mean having to reorder parts or doing a certain job again, it’s a good idea to use Plumbing Formulator to check your work. 

Using a Plumbing Formulator to help with any calculations, you may find that you’re able to speed through the planning process and get straight to the manual part. 

Cost: Free, with in-app purchases

If you try to keep your overheads down, then using Joblogic might be the right move for your business. The software can automatically convert approved quotes into live jobs, limiting the time you need for admin. 

The integrated payments feature makes taking online payments and deposits a breeze. If you’d rather accept a card payment while you’re on-site, you can do this too using the mobile app. 

Normally, keeping your clients up-to-date on how the job progress can be a very time-consuming process. But with Joblogic, you can send direct notifications by either text or email. 

Cost: 30 days free trial, then £35 per month

Designed specifically to be used by trading businesses (including plumbing, energy, electrical, and construction), Tradify has several features that lend themselves to helping your business run smoothly. 

Some of the features Tradify includes are job management, scheduling, quoting/invoicing, and material tracking. The job management and scheduling tools are excellent at providing you with a clear, accurate picture of what jobs you have coming up. Instead of using a written diary which can quickly become unclear when appointments are moved or changed, Tradify remains easy to read.

They also have a large customer support network, offered via email, live chat, or over the phone. Online FAQs and video tutorials are also available. 

Cost: 14 days free trial, then £19 per month

Mileage is classed as an allowable expense for the self-employed. But, to claim it, you’ll need to keep track of how far you drove, when each journey took place, and for what purpose. If you try to record your mileage manually, it can be all too easy to make a mistake. That’s where the MileIQ app comes in handy.

MileIQ automatically tracks every trip you make. You can access the routes later and assign them as business or personal trips. Best of all, it can even estimate how much you can claim back. 

Cost: 40 free trips, then $59.99 (approx. £45) per year

Are you looking for something to help with your day-to-day operations? GeoNext can help you stay on top of your agenda, with quoting, scheduling and job management all in one place. By using GeoNext you can reduce the stress of managing individual jobs.

Part and material tracking is an integral part of the job management feature. Instead of forcing you to remember the costs of your materials, it lets you attach them to a specific job. You can also track your labour against the same job. This feature makes it much easier to keep a running total, than potentially forgetting something and dealing with the added costs yourself.

Cost: 14 days free trial, then $15 or $25 per month

If you’re looking for a tool to help your organisation, signing up for Jobber could be a good idea. Available as an app and online log-in, you can make your business management portable instead of leaving it until when you return to your office or computer. 

Jobber’s biggest selling point is convenience. It has a booking portal that you can integrate into your website, and it sends a request directly to your phone. Once you receive the request, you can review it, respond with a quote, or schedule the job. 

If you schedule multiple plumbing jobs for the same day, you can also make use of the one-click route optimisation. This shows you the best way to get between your jobs, so you don’t have to waste time figuring out how to get from A to B. 

While Jobber is packed with helpful features, it can be quite expensive to use long-term. 

Cost: 14 days free trial, then $35 per month for 3 months, rising to $49 per month

To easily and confidently stay on top of your finances, then Countingup could be exactly what you need. Thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. It is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. 

Countingup boasts certain features that make managing your finances a lot easier. For example, instead of manually writing out every single invoice, you can use the invoice on the go feature. This lets you send unlimited, custom invoices directly to your clients with ease.

Another factor you may find useful is the receipt capture tool. Now when you buy your supplies, you’ll be able to take a picture of the receipt and have your expenses automatically categorised. It means you won’t ever have to store paper receipts again, and can save you hours of admin time when it comes to preparing your tax return. 

Cost: 3 months free, then £3, £9, or £18 per month

Find out more here.